


Sketches of What Was There Before

by elfin (crazylittleelf)



Category: Fringe
Genre: F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-18
Updated: 2014-08-18
Packaged: 2018-02-12 18:37:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2120484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crazylittleelf/pseuds/elfin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Things take a different path.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sketches of What Was There Before

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kerithwyn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kerithwyn/gifts).



The cold wind whipped Olivia's hair into her face and stung her eyes. She ignored it, never looking away from the man standing on the roof across from her. His eyes were red-rimmed, and she knew it wasn't from the cold.

She knew...

"Please," he begged. "We weren't meant for this. Don't make me take all of them with me. Please?"

Olivia lowered the gun slowly. "Nick. Nicky," she said, hesitating on the barely-remembered name. "It doesn't have to be like this. It doesn't." She took a step forward. "I'm here now. It'll be okay."

He shook his head. "How can it be okay after what I've done. I _hurt_ people, Olive."

"You didn't mean to. You didn't even know it was happening." She reached out for his hand, brushing her fingers over his. The sound Nick made was raw, choked out from behind clenched teeth. Olivia curled her hand around his and pulled him toward her, leading him away from the edge of the roof. "No one else is going to get hurt."

His eyes were wide, brilliant blue. He nodded slowly, tears spilling down his cheeks with the movement. Olivia pulled him close, and Nick leaned into her, shaking. Around the edge of the building, Nick's thralls slumped to the roof. Nick's knees went out from under him and Olivia eased him down, gun clattering to the roof as she wrapped him in her arms.

Nick rested his head on her shoulder, face turned to press into her neck. Olivia lost track of time, listening to the rhythm of Nick's breathing, feeling the rhythmic clench of his hands on her coat. There were EMTs around them, she realized, helping people up, leading them away.

"Olivia?"

She nodded at Peter's question, not raising her head. He rested his hand on her shoulder, standing behind her in silence. The warmth of his touch soaked into her and Nick sighed and relaxed against her.

Peter squeezed her shoulder and said, "I'll go find Walter."

Olivia reached back and grabbed his wrist. "No." Her voice was rough. She cleared her throat and asked, "Please stay?"

"Okay." Peter stepped closer, knelt beside her. Nick shifted slightly and raised his head to look at Peter.

"It's okay," Olivia said, her lips brushing Nick's skin. "Peter's my friend."

*****

The authorities had argued endlessly until Broyles stepped in and took custody of Nick, and Olivia by proxy since she refused to leave his side. That Peter wouldn't leave hers was no surprise, and the trio was transported to a nondescript building where they were greeted by a small army of doctors headed by Nina Sharp.

Olivia sat on the edge of the hospital bed and watched Nick's face closely.

"What kind of help?" he asked groggily, fighting against the sedatives the doctors had given him.

Behind Olivia, Nina Sharp said, "We have access to resources here that I believe will enable you to learn to control your ability. We'd like to help you, if you'll agree to stay and work with the specialists we have here at Massive Dynamic."

"A lab rat," Nick said.

"We have no intention of holding you prisoner, Mr. Lane, nor do we harbor any ill-will toward you. It's true that we would gain a considerable wealth of information from a... let's call it a partnership with you. I believe we can both benefit from this arrangement."

Nick looked to Olivia, eyes questioning.

From the other side of the bed, Peter said, "Ms. Sharp, could we have a moment?"

"Of course, please take your time."

Olivia watched the door for a moment then turned back to Nick. "This is probably your best option. Ms. Sharp has been... helpful to me."

"I'm not sure that's how I'd phrase it," Peter muttered.

Nick glanced at Peter, then pitched his voice low enough that Olivia leaned toward him. "What if I don't want to say here?"

"Then we'll figure something else out," she murmured.

"You won't be here," Nick said.

She shook her head. "No. Not all the time. I'll visit as often as I can, and you can come see me in Boston once you've recovered."

He dropped his eyes. "Whenever that is."

"Nick." She reached out and cupped his cheek, tilting his face up again. "We'll figure this out."

Peter cleared his throat and put his hand on Nick's shoulder. "Look, I know Walter probably isn't very high on your list of people to trust, but he can probably help, too. Provided we can keep him focused long enough that he doesn't go chasing invisible unicorns instead."

Nick frowned. "Um."

"It's okay," Olivia said. "I... I don't remember what Walter was like, but I have to think he's different now."

"Very different," Peter said.

Olivia's mouth twitched into a smile, Nick smiled back at her. "Do you really think they can help me here?"

"Yeah, I do," Olivia said.

Nick looked at Peter.

Peter rolled his eyes and said, "Despite my inherent mistrust of both multinational coporations and Nina Sharp, yeah, probably."

Nick nodded slowly, eyelids drooping. "I'm so tired. I've been trying not to sleep. I can't sleep. Someone else will get hurt."

"No," Olivia said. She ran her hand over his short hair. "Just rest now. You're safe."

Nick nodded again, nuzzling into her hand before closing his eyes and relaxing with a sigh. His breathing evened out, and in moments he was asleep.

Peter pulled the blankets up over Nick and said softly, "I'm not terribly fond of my father right now."

Olivia stroked her fingers over Nick's head and didn't disagree.

*****

The clinical whiteness of Massive Dynamic's medical facility made Olivia's skin crawl. She wound her way through the maze of hallways to a small atrium, an unexpected oasis of lush greenery. A figure in baggy white sweats lounged on a bench under a miniature palm tree.

Nick looked up from the book he was reading at smiled. "I think I'm going to stay here. Much nicer than the room they have me in."

Olivia sat next to him, stretching her legs out in front of her. She looked up through the leaves to the skylight several stories above them. "This is pretty nice."

"How'd you find me? I didn't think anyone knew where I was. Well, I mean, they always know where I am, but I thought they'd pretend they didn't."

"I..." Olivia frowned. "I'm not sure. I was walking to your room but I thought... you were here instead." She tilted her head at Nick. "I knew where you were."

"Coooool," Nick said.

Olivia slapped at his arm, laughing. She looked at Nick and felt a wave of amazement and delight. Her eyes widened as she sorted through the realization that she was feeling Nick's emotions.

Nick grinned at her, then as quickly as it had come, the feeling was gone.

"Oh," Olivia said, breathless. "That was..."

Nick slumped back to the bench. "Sorry. I'm still not very good at controlling that."

"It's... I didn't know it would work on me. It didn't before."

"Yeah. They're working with me to control it. Make it do what I want." Nick stared at his hands."

"How's that going?"

"Okay, I guess. I didn't make anyone want to kill themselves today. Yesterday was bad, though."

Olivia shivered at the feeling of distress that ghosted through. "You know you can call me when it's bad," she said.

Nick shrugged. "I don't want to bother you."

Olivia put her hand on his. "You don't."

Nick turned his hand over in hers and laced their fingers together. "Thanks."

That sat quietly together until Olivia asked, "What are you reading?"

Nick tilted the book toward her.

Olivia raised an eyebrow at the title, reading, " _If You See The Buddha On The Road Kill Him_." She looked up at Nick and frowned at the blush that tinted his cheeks.

"Uh. Peter gave it to me."

"I didn't know Peter'd been to visit you."

"Yeah, a couple times. And we've been, you know, texting and stuff."

"Huh."

"He's... I think he feels guilty about what Dr. Bishop did to us."

"Maybe," she said, "but I don't think that's why he gave you this. Peter isn't likely to pay some else's debts."

"Has enough of his own, huh?"

Olivia grinned. "There's that."

Nick stretched his arms over his head, fingers brushing the leaves of the tree. "Well, in any case, I like talking to him."

"Me too," Olivia said.

Nick glanced at her, sidelong and sly. "He _really_ likes talking about you."

Olivia bit her lower lip and kept her eyes fixed on the wall across from them.

"Oh, come on, nothing?"

Olivia turned and considered Nick for a moment, then narrowed her eyes. "Why is Peter giving you books?"

"Well, clearly because I'm charming and adorable."

She stared at him. "Are you _flirting_ with Peter?"

"Maybe a little." Nick grinned. "Are you jealous?"

"No," Olivia huffed. "Maybe a little."

"I'm pretty sure there's nothing stopping you from flirting with him."

"I'm not good with relationships."

"Shit, Olive, who is?"

"Uh, excuse me, Mr. Lane," a doctor called from the entrance to the atrium.

"That's me," Nick said, standing. "Think about it, Olive. 'Mad Scientist's Son' is quite a catch."

Olivia glared up at him. She could hear Nick's laughter as he walked down the hall away from her.

******

Olivia knocked on the door of Nick's apartment, trying to calm her mind. The memories of the first - and only - time she'd been there lingered, adding to the nervous anticipation of the meeting she was promised to have with William Bell the following day. She was beginning to regret going to Nick's when he opened the door, smiling, and all doubt dropped away.

"Olive!" Nick pulled her into his apartment and wrapped his arms around her. "What are you doing here?"

"I've got a meeting in town tomorrow. Wanted to see a friendly face first, see how you were doing."

"I'm doing great. Come on in. Where's Peter?"

"We're not joined at the hip."

Nick's expression turned sly. "But you'd like to be."

"Nick!"

"Whatever." Nick waved his hands at her. "You want something to drink. I just have water and soda."

"No thanks." Olivia looked around Nick's apartment, noting the lack of newspaper clippings pinned to the walls.

"Yeah, I cleaned. Or rather, someone from Massive Dynamic cleaned." Nick shrugged. "Place looks better with out it, right? Less unhinged lunatic in residence."

"That's not..."

"It's okay." Nick picked up a pile of books from the small sofa and said, "Here, have a seat."

"Thanks." 

Nick carefully moved a chess board from a footstool and sat down on it.

"You're playing with someone?"

"Yeah, Peter. We text each other our moves."

"It's nice that the two of you are friends." Olivia frowned. "That was sort of patronizing, wasn't it?"

"No. It is nice. I haven't had any friends since I was a kid. Since you, really."

"Nick..."

He reached for her hands and said, "It's okay. You're here now. I've got you, and Peter, and Massive Dynamic is looking for the other people from the tests, to see if they're okay, help them maybe. I like the thought that I can maybe help some of them. That maybe they won't have to go through what I did."

Olivia smiled at the warmth of his touch, at the hope in his voice. "I'll help, too," she said then, yawned. "Sorry. Guess I should go find a hotel."

"Don't be dumb. You can stay here."

"Sure?"

"Of course."

They moved around the apartment comfortably as they got ready for bed. Olivia stretched out on Nick's bed, having filed to convince him that she'd be perfectly happy sleeping on the couch. She rolled to her side and watched as he pulled his t-shirt off and tossed it into a laundry basket.

"'Night, Olive."

Olivia reached out and caught his hand. "Nick...?"

He smiled down at her, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand. Hey lay down facing her, their hands clasped together between them. Nick ran his hands over hers, over her arms.

Olivia said, "We've done this before."

"Yeah. We'd have sleepovers at the school."

"Sometimes I think I remember things," she said. I'm never sure if they're real."

"What do you remember?"

"Impressions, mostly." Olivia sighed. "Mostly I don't want to remember anything from then."

Nick wiggled closer. "I didn't understand what was happening until I was older. To you, I mean." He traced a finger over the crest of her cheek, drew a gentle line under her eye.

Olivia closed her eyes at the touch of his fingers, circling her hands around his arms. She drowsed in the warmth of his touch for long moment, then frowned.

"Nick, was Peter ever there?"

"At the school? No, not really. I mean, we all knew Dr. Bishop had a kid our age, but he was never around because he was sick or something. Why?"

"It just sometimes seems like I knew him before," she said, thoughtfully.

"Like with me?"

"No," she said, suddenly certain. "I know you. I've always known you."

Olivia smiled reflexively at the expression on Nick's face, the joy there. She stretched forward and kissed him without thinking, without considering anything other than chasing that joy to the source.

Nick's lips were warm, gentle, and he sighed happily against her mouth before retuning the kiss.

They were both breathing hard when they broke apart, panting for breath, foreheads pressed together. Olivia giggled softly.

"That was nice," Nick said, brushing his lips against hers.

"Just nice?"

Nick tilted his head and slanted his mouth against hers, tongue teasing her lips apart. "Very nice," he murmured.

She smiled and let her eyes droop closed. "Sorry," she mumbled. "More tired than I thought."

Nick stroked his hand over her hair, smoothing loose strands away from her face. "Go to sleep. Don't want to you be sleepy for your super-secret meeting tomorrow."

*****

Olivia was exhausted from tests and exams, from whatever had happened to her that she couldn't remember. The doctors and nurses had finally left her, and Rachel had left to pick up Ella.

Olivia shifted on the narrow hospital bed and closed her eyes against the pain. She opened them immediately at the thought that she was in danger, that something was hunting her and she didn't know what it was. Her eyes darted around the room, stopping at the shadow at the door. 

"Olive?" Nick looked around the doorframe.

Olivia slumped back to the bed, trying to slow her racing heart.

"Hey, it's okay. Olive? Do you need a doctor?"

"No." She took a slow breath and lowered her voice. "No, Nick, I'm fine."

"Jesus, stop saying that." Nick caught her shaking hands in one of his and reached for the call button with the other.

"No, really, I don't need... I just..."

"Okay, it's okay." Nick brushed Olivia's hair back from her face, careful of the cuts on her forehead. He sat on the edge of the bed and brought her hand up to his lips, kissing her bruised knuckles.

"I hate this," Olivia whispered.

"I know." Nick leaned close to her. He kissed her forehead and said, "I was so scared."

Olivia squeezed her hands around his.

"Please," he whispered. "Please don't leave me like that again."

"Nick..."

"I could _feel_ when you left. And then you came back but you still weren't _here_.

"It's okay. I'm here now."

Nick rested his forehead on hers. They both started at a knock at the door.

"Hey," Peter said, "How are you...oh..." He trailed off, eyes darting uncertainly between Olivia and Nick.

"Hi, Peter," Nick said, his voice hoarse.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

"You didn't," Olivia said.

Peter smiled and walked over to stand next to Nick. "How are you feeling?"

"I wish people would stop asking me that," Olivia muttered.

Peter said, "I know people usually bring flowers, but that didn't seem like your style." He glanced at the door, then reached into his backpack. He drew out a gun, her backup, and Olivia wanted to cry with relief. She clutched it in both hands and said, "Thank you."

She twisted on the bed, wincing, and pushed the gun under her pillow.

Peter leaned down and kissed her forehead when she turned back. "No shooting anyone because they won't give you coffee."

Olivia nodded and leaned back, almost unable to keep her eyes open now.

Nick bent over and kissed her cheek. "G'night, Olivia."

*****

Olivia was exhausted. Between jet lag and the adrenaline crash following the thwarted bombing attempt, she was completely wrung out. Instead of sleeping, she sat, awake and restless in the darkness of her living room. Beside her, her phone chirped.

Olivia glanced at her phone, then sent the call to voicemail. She closed her eyes and leaned back on the couch, then winced at a knock at the door. She pushed herself up off the couch and opened the door with a sigh.

"Oh," she said, blinking in surprise.

"Oh?" Nick smiled at her. "That's not what I was expecting."

"I thought you were going to be Peter." Olivia stepped back to let Nick in to her townhouse.

"That's not the reaction I would have expected for Peter, either," he said, grinning.

"Sorry, I'm just really tired," Olivia mumbled.

"Uh, yeah, flying to Iraq and back, then stopping a bomb threat will do that to a person."

She leaned against the closed door and said, "You've been talking to Peter."

"He's worried about you."

"I'm fine."

"He told me about the shapeshifters, too."

Olivia rubbed at her forehead. "I don't think he understands what the word 'classified' means."

"Who am I gonna tell?" Nick flopped down on the couch and said, "You wanna talk about it?"

"Which part? The shapeshifters or the human bombs?" She locked the door and walked over to the couch.

"Hey! No cane."

Olivia quirked a smile at him. "Yeah."

Nick hopped up and wrapped her in a hug. "That's awesome!"

"Yeah. Ow."

"Sorry, sorry." Nick frowned. "It still hurts?"

"My back. The bruises." 

He tilted his head at her. "How bad is it?"

Olivia shrugged and tugged her shirt over her head.

Nick's hand ghosted over her skin, tracing the edge of the bruise. "Oh, Olive." He splayed one hand against her lower back, the other curling around her upper arm. His breath warmed her skin when he kissed the slope of her neck.

Nick stepped close and wrapped his arms around her waist. The warmth of his body was intoxicating, and Olivia closed her eyes and leaned back into him. He slid his hands up over her stomach, stopping just below her breasts.

"Olive...?"

"Yes," she said, covering Nick's hands with her own and guiding them up.

His palms skimmed over her skin, just brushing her nipples. His fingertips traced the curve of her breasts, feather light touches that sent shivers skittering over her skin. Her nipples pebbled under his fingers. Olivia ran her finger over Nick's arms, feeling goosebumps lift his skin.

She belatedly realized that she was standing half-naked in her living room and cleared her throat.

Nick chuckled against the back of her head. Olivia turned in his arms and rested her hands on his hips. His eyes were dark in the low lights of her apartment, wide. Excited, she thought, and then she could feel it, the way he wanted her.

She arched up as he leaned down to kiss her, pulling his hips to hers. They stumbled to her bed, shedding clothing as they went. Olivia scrambled backward on the bed as Nick crawled over her, trying not to break contact with his lips, his hands. She gasped as he snaked a hand between their bodies, his fingers slipping over the wetness between her legs.

Nick sat back on his heels, grinning as he licked his fingers. Olivia flung an arm to the side, stretching out to her nightstand, then rolling toward it when she couldn't quite reach. Nick nuzzled her back, dropping kisses along her spine as she fished out a condom. Their fingers slipped together as they rolled it on him, then he hooked an arm around her leg and she grabbed the back of his neck and he was inside her.

They both keened in unison, pressing their foreheads together. Olivia's fingers slid over Nick's back, urging him to move, arching into every thrust. Nick rolled, pulling her over him. The movement drove him deep into her as her weight settled on him. Her breath caught in her throat.

Nick pushed himself up, bracing one hand on the bed behind his back, the other snaking around her waist. She ducked her head and caught his lips, licking into his mouth. Olivia dug her fingers into his shoulders, rocking into him. Her orgasm broke over her suddenly, shockingly intense. A strangled cry spilled from Nick's mouth into her as he followed her.

They slumped to the bed, slick with sweat and giggling. "I wonder if everyone in your building just had a spontaneous orgasm."

"I hope not. I don't want to share this with anyone else."

Nick nipped at her neck. "No one?"

Olivia groaned and threw an arm over her eyes while Nick laughed against her skin.

"Can you please go five minutes without mentioning Peter?"

"Nope. Trying to make a point here."

"You're... sleeping with me to get me to realize I need to be with Peter instead?"

Nick licked her neck. "No, that's not it."

His lips closed over her skin and he sucked lightly. Olivia groaned and pressed into his mouth, not caring if he marked her skin.

"Nick, wait, I'm confused."

He pulled back and propped his head on his hand. "Okay."

Olivia sat up on the bed, pulling the sheet around her body. "You just... you know I have feelings for Peter. Why do you keep teasing me about it?"

"Oh, Olive. I'm sorry. That's not what I meant." He sat, mirroring her position.

"It's just been so long since I've let myself feel anything. I guess I'm greedy now. I love you. I've always loved you. But I like Peter, too. I like having him as a friend, and I'd very much like more than that. And you would, too."

Olivia nodded slowly. She stared at Nick, then shook her head. "No, I'm not following."

"Sure you are."

"That's not..." She bit her lip. "It doesn't work like that." 

"It works however we want it to work."

"Peter wouldn't..." she started, then laughed. "Peter would be fine with that, wouldn't he?"

"Yeah, I think so," Nick said. "I haven't actually asked him, but I've kind of hinted at it and he hasn't freaked out."

"Unlike me."

"Well, _I_ wasn't going to say that."

She swatted at his arm.

*****

Olivia started awake at the touch of a hand on her shoulder. For a moment all she could see was an alleyway and a body sprawled on the wet pavement. Nick leaned toward her from the driver side of the SUV, forehead creased with worry. She rubbed at her eyes and looked around, surprised to be parked in from of her apartment.

"You really were out of it."

"Rough day," she said, unable to force the memory of the familiar face and the bullet hole bleeding silver.

Nick made a soft sound of distress and reached across to grab her hand. She squeezed her eyes shut against the prick of tears. Nick sat with her quietly until she opened her eyes again. Olivia cleared her throat and nodded at him.

She rested against the side of her SUV while Nick locked it and frowned at the lights in the window of her apartment.

"I called Peter." Nick stood next to her. "I hope that's okay."

Olivia leaned her head back on the window of the SUV. "It's okay."

Nick took her hand and lead her inside.

"Hey." Peter cupped her cheek and tilted her face up. "Sorry I couldn't go to New York. I was... Waltering."

"It's okay."

"No, none of this is okay."

Peter pulled her into a hug, his fingers tangling in her hair. Olivia leaned into his warmth, into the comfort of his touch. A sense of anxiousness came over her.

Olivia raised her head to look at Nick. He was twisting his fingers in the hem of his t-shirt, watching them closely. She stretched her arm out to him, fingers brushing his arm, and Nick sighed in relief. He pressed himself against her side, against Peter's side. The feeling of completeness made her dizzy, and she closed her eyes.

"You must be exhausted," Peter murmured. She nodded against his shoulder.

Nick kissed her cheek and said, "Go to bed. We'll be out in the living room, okay?"

She drifted off to the sound of their voices.

*****

Olivia pressed her back harder into the corner of the small room. She closed her eyes and could almost imagine the smell of charred wood, scorched concrete. It did nothing to spark her memory, though. She dialed her phone almost absently.

Nick answered on the first ring. "Olive?"

"Yeah."

"I should have gone with you," he said.

"No. I'm fine."

"Olive."

"Okay, I'm not fine."

"Where's Peter?" Nick asked.

"He's with Walter, I think. I don't know."

"You should go find him."

"I don't think I can stand seeing Walter right now."

"I meant you should find Peter."

Olivia sighed. "I know what you meant." She scrubbed a hand over her face and said, "I don't know how I'm supposed to do what I need to do. There isn't anything here that's going to help me."

"Sorry, Olive."

She sighed and pushed herself up. "We can't waste anymore time here. I'm going to get Peter and Walter and head back. Nick... We don't know where this is going to happen. I want you to be safe. Meet us at Massive Dynamic?"

"Yeah, ok, Olive, I will."

"We'll be back soon."

She ended the call and stared down at her phone.

"Hey," Peter said. "You talking to Broyles? Has it started?"

Olivia looked up at him. "No. Nick."

A smile flickered over Peter's face before he sobered again. He was starting to say something when Olivia's phone rang again.

"It's Broyles," she said. She met Peter's worried eyes.

"I'll go round up Walter so we can leave," he said as she answered her phone.

*****

Olivia paced the tiny landing of Nick's apartment. Nick was rubbing at his eyes when he opened the door, blinking at her in confusion.

"Olive? What...? Fuck, what time is it?"

"Can I come in?" she asked.

"Yeah, shit, sorry." Nick stepped back from the door and blinked. "I thought you went back to Boston?"

"I did."

Nick sat on the couch and watched her pace his small living room. "What's wrong?"

"Everything," she said.

"Okay," he said evenly, despite twisting his fingers around one another nervously. "Tell me."

"I saw something."

"What, Olive? What is going on?"

"Nick, Peter's not from here."

He frowned. "What?"

"I saw... it was just like the building. He _glimmered_. Walter... Walter asked me not to say anything to him, but I can't keep that from him. How could Walter do that?"

Nick rubbed a hand over his mouth. "I think we both know what Walter is capable of doing."

"Yeah, but... he had to have _taken_ Peter. Kidnapped him. What... what happened to _this_ Peter?"

"I don't know. He was sick. Maybe..."

"I have to tell him," Olivia said, stopping in front of Nick.

"I... I don't disagree, but..." He sighed and trailed off. "Shouldn't Walter be the one to tell him?"

"Walter _isn't_ going to tell him. Peter deserves to know this and Walter wants to keep it from him." Olivia fished in her pocket for her phone.

"Whoa, whoa." Nick grabbed her hands.

Her eyes were wide. "You agree with Walter?"

"No, but seriously, you're going to tell him over the phone?"

She blinked at him, then let out a slow breath. "Okay. Point taken."

Nick pulled her down on the couch next to him. "We'll tell him together. We just have to figure out how."

*****

Olivia met Nick's eyes in the mirror behind the bar as he slid onto a stool beside her.

"I'd ask how you found me, but that'd be a stupid question." She tossed back the rest of her drink and waved at the bartender for another. "Don't suppose that extends to finding Peter?"

"I guess it doesn't work like that." Nick shook his head at the bartender's raised eyebrow. "No, thanks."

Olivia stared down at her drink. "I should have told him."

"This isn't your fault."

"I could have..."

" _Nothing_ you could have said or done would have made this any easier for him." Nick pulled her hand away from the glass and laced their fingers together. "I know I haven't known Peter as long as you have, but this doesn't really seem out of character for him, you know. Running when he's scared, I mean."

Olivia shrugged, but didn't deny it.

"He'll come back. He's just hurt and confused, but he has more ties here than just Walter. He'll come back, Olive."

"What if he doesn't?"

Nick reached for his wallet and waved the bartender over, handing him a credit card. "Close her tab, please."

"I can pay for my own drinks," she grumbled.

"Shh." Nick signed the receipt and steered Olivia out of the bar. "Where'd you park?"

"I walked."

"You live miles from here."

"Was gonna take a cab home."

"I parked just down the block." He wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "I need to just move to Boston and save on gas money."

They walked in silence, and Olivia leaned against the car while Nick opened the locks.

"I didn't say anything and I lost him. I didn't say _anything_. Nick, I didn't..."

"Olive, stop. You'll get to tell him, I promise." He kissed her forehead. "We both will."

*****

"Nick, get inside," Olivia shouted, pushing him into the theater after Peter and Walter. She turned to see William Bell firing from behind the cover of a pillar. She crouched next to him. "Walter's starting the device. We need to buy him some time."

Bell nodded.

Olivia caught movement out of the corner of her eye, and turned as someone yelled, "Dr. Bell, get down." Then the world went white around her.

Olivia blinked her eyes open slowly, wincing at the ringing in her ears. Someone pulled her up roughly and Olivia squinted up into familiar hazel eyes.

"Sorry about this," her own voice said. 

Hands pushed under her jacket, starting to slide it from her shoulders. Her leverage was bad, but Olivia kicked, catching the other woman off-guard, foot connecting with her knee. Olivia surged forward, using her weight to drive the other woman to the ground. Her double recovered quickly, locking her legs with Olivia's and flipping them over. Olivia's head swam from the movement.

"What the _fuck_?"

The woman crouching over Olivia turned to look at Nick, and Olivia moved. Her fist hit the side of the other woman's face, snapping her head further to the side. She fell backward, unnaturally blonde hair spilling around her head.

Nick's eyes were wide. "Holy shit, is that a _shapeshifter_?"

"No, I don't think so." Olivia swayed on her feet and Nick slid his arm around her waist. "Where's Bell?"

"Here," the older man said, pushing himself up slowly. Nick glanced at Olivia, who nodded, before leaving her side to help Bell to his feet.

"Are you okay?" Olivia asked.

"For now. We should go while we still can." her looked at Olivia's unconscious doppleganger. "Remarkable."

"That's one way to put it," Nick said.

"Come on," Olivia said, taking Nick's hand. "Let's go home."

*****

Epilogue

 

Olivia was dozing, curled against Nick's side, listening to the steady sound of his breathing while he slept. The drive back to Boston from New York had seemed endless.

The knock at her door was so soft she barely heard it. Nick grumbled when she rose to answer the door.

Peter looked at her uncertainly, eyes darting past her to Nick for a moment. He licked his lips before saying, "Can I come in?"

Olivia stepped back and smiled. "We've been waiting for you."

*****

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Wikiaddicted for beta reading this.


End file.
